Exposure to Particulate Matter (PM) During Pregnancy and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas in Children

Maternal exposure to particulate matter during pregnancy and offspring liver function.

Air pollution is associated with hepatic dysfunction, but the evidence in the early childhood remains limited. This study aimed to explore the associations between maternal exposure to particulate matter and offspring liver function, as indicated by serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in children aged 1-2 years. Based on the Fujian Birth Cohort Study (FJBCS), a total of 1046 mother-offspring pairs were analyzed in this study. Maternal mean exposures to PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 were calculated for the entire gestational period and each of the three trimesters. Linear regression models were used and restricted cubic spline (RCS) models were further applied to explore the exposure-response relationships. Distributed lag models (DLMs) were conducted to examine the weekly associations throughout pregnancy. Results show that positive associations were found between maternal exposure and offspring enzyme levels in the entire pregnancy as well as the second trimester alone. After adjustment, an interquartile range (IQR) increment in PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 in the second trimester was associated with increases in ALT by 1.42 (0.82-2.03) U/L, 1.41 (0.77-2.05) U/L, 0.91 (0.35-1.46) U/L, and in AST by 1.64 (1.00-2.29) U/L, 1.56 (0.88-2.23) U/L and 0.80 (0.21-1.39) U/L, respectively. DLM analyses further indicated that the associations were the most pronounced during the second trimester. Our findings suggest that maternal exposure to particulate matter is positively associated with increased levels of ALT and AST in offspring, with the second trimester representing a potentially sensitive period.

Association of prenatal exposure to PM2.5 and its chemical constituents with early childhood obesity: A population-based study.

Regulating key PM2.5 chemical constituents is a vital public health strategy to mitigate the adverse effects of prenatal air pollution on children's metabolic health, and these findings underscore that regulating key PM2.5 chemical constituents is a vital public health strategy.

Perinatal and Early-Life Exposures and Risk of Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma

Simple Summary Perinatal and early-life factors have been hypothesized to influence non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) risk, but study results have been mixed and exposure data for childhood ages are limited. In this case–control study of 2280 NHL cases and 2253 controls, we assessed perinatal and early-life factors in association with risk of developing NHL later in life. Greater weight at birth, in childhood, and in late adolescence were all associated with greater risk of NHL. Breastfeeding duration of >6 months compared to never being breastfed was inversely associated with NHL risk. We did not observe any statistically significant associations for other perinatal and early life factors evaluated, and overall associations did not substantively vary by major NHL subtype. Excess body weight across the life course, including in early life, may influence risk of developing NHL later in life.

Association between long-term exposure to environmental coarse particulate matter and the prevalence of thyroid disorders: a cross-sectional study in China.

Long-term PM2.5 exposure and leukemia risk from childhood to early adulthood: A nationwide longitudinal cohort study with time-varying exposure analysis.

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) has been suggested as an environmental risk factor for childhood leukemia. This study examined the association between time-varying PM2.5 exposure and leukemia incidence in a nationwide cohort of Korean children and adolescents. We used data from the National Health Insurance Service-National Sample Cohort (2002-2020), including beneficiaries aged 0-18 years at enrollment who were followed until leukemia onset, death, or study end. Leukemia onset was defined as the first hospital visit with a primary diagnostic code from the 10th revision of the International Classification of Diseases. Annual PM2.5 concentrations were assigned to all 226 inland districts in South Korea using mean predictions from a machine learning-based ensemble model. Cox regression models with time-varying exposures and confounders were applied. Two-pollutant models incorporating NO2 and O3 were conducted as sensitivity analyses. Among 384,606 individuals aged 0-18 at enrollment, 272 developed leukemia during follow-up, including 83 who were diagnosed after the age of 18 years. The cohort's average annual PM2.5 concentration was 29.6 μg/m3 (standard deviation: 3.1). Each 5 μg/m3 increase in annual PM2.5 was associated with a hazard ratio of 1.40 (95% confidence interval: 1.04-1.90) for leukemia. The effect estimate remained comparable when follow-up was censored at age 18 years, suggesting that the findings were not materially influenced by the inclusion of diagnoses occurring after age 18. Long-term PM2.5 exposure was associated with increased leukemia incidence in this national cohort. These findings underscore the importance of reducing air pollution to protect the health of children and adolescents.

Long-term exposure to PM2.5-bound metals and female breast cancer incidence in New Mexico, USA

Female breast cancer (FBC) is the most commonly diagnosed malignant cancer and the second leading cancer cause of death among women in the United States. Environmental exposures, particularly PM2.5-bound metals, have been increasingly associated with breast cancer incidence. We evaluated associations between long-term residential exposure to PM2.5-bound metals and age-adjusted FBC incidence rate at the census tract level in New Mexico from 1997 to 2019. FBC records were obtained from the New Mexico Tumor Registry. Annual metal exposure intensities for chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, and mercury were estimated using a calibrated Emission Weighted Proximity Model (EWPM) over a 10-year pre-diagnosis window. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) with Gaussian estimation was used to estimate rate ratio (RR) for the association between PM2.5-bound metal exposure and FBC incidence in New Mexico. Exposure to PM2.5-bound chromium (adjusted RR 1.07, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.08), cobalt (adjusted RR 1.08, 95% CI: 1.05, 1.11), copper (adjusted RR 1.06, 95% CI: 1.04, 1.07), manganese (adjusted RR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.08), and mercury (adjusted RR 1.05, 95% CI: 1.03, 1.07) show significant associations with increased FBC incidence rate. When exposure was categorized as unexposed, low, medium, and high groups, a significant increasing trend was observed across all five metals. Long-term exposure to multiple PM2.5-bound metals is associated with elevated FBC incidence rate in New Mexico. These findings highlight the need for further research and to biologically validate the observed associations and clarify potential mechanisms linking PM2.5-bound metal exposure to FBC incidence risk.